Greek Australian Maria Lambroglou has pleaded guilty to two counts of dealing with proceeds of crime after her arrest in connection with an investigation into the murder of Rami Iskander, a Sydney underworld figure.
Maria, along with her husband Vincent Lambroglou, was apprehended during a search warrant executed at their residence in Kyle Bay. Vincent, who is accused of being involved in organizing the getaway vehicles used in Iskander’s shooting, faces charges including accessory after the fact to murder, accessory before the fact to murder, participating in a criminal group, and knowingly dealing with proceeds of crime. Maria, on the other hand, faced charges related to dealing with the proceeds of crime and participating in a criminal group.
During a recent court appearance at Sydney’s Downing Centre Local Court, Maria pleaded guilty to the charges of dealing with proceeds of crime. Her legal representatives from Zahr Partners negotiated the dismissal of the criminal group charge against her. It’s important to note that Maria is not accused of any involvement in Iskander’s death. Court documents revealed that police had been monitoring Vincent’s activities through surveillance and recordings obtained from their home and a business premises in Oatley.
According to the evidence presented in court, Vincent was allegedly captured on recordings using a currency-counting machine to handle substantial amounts of cash, with Maria present at the Oatley location on several occasions. Police allege that Maria was seen handling cash passed to her by Vincent and even encouraging him to recount the money for accuracy. During the investigation, officers discovered approximately $70,000 hidden in Maria’s bedroom, with $64,800 found in the drawer of a wardrobe. However, Maria denied any knowledge of the cash when interviewed by the police.
Despite her guilty plea, Maria remains on bail and is scheduled to be sentenced on September 7. In a significant development related to the case, all charges against Lee Lambroglou, another sibling of the Lambroglou family, were dropped. Lee had been charged with being an accessory after the fact to murder and concealing a serious indictable offense in relation to Iskander’s murder. The decision to withdraw the charges against Lee came after a court hearing where the weakness of the case against him was highlighted by Justice Stephen Campbell. The specific reasons for the withdrawal of the charges were not provided during the hearing.
